The present invention relates to firearms and more particularly to firearms such as rifles or shotguns which include a safety lock-out device.
In the past, a variety of firearms having safety devices have been known and commonly used. The typical safety device is manually operated and the operator of the firearms must manually move a lever or latch from an unsafe position to an operative or safety position. When properly used, manually operated safety devices of this general type are effective. However, it is not at all unusual for the operator of the firearm to neglect to activate the safety device. Many lives have been lost and numerous injuries incurred due to such neglect. The operator may even be unaware of which direction to move the safety lever.
In a search for improved firearm safety, a number of other safety devices have been developed which are more sophisticated than the simple lever-actuated safety device. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,273,204 describes a safety device including a pressure sensitive mechanism in the butt end of a firearm which senses when the firearm is held at the shoulder, as well as a gravitationally operated lug which senses when the firearm is held in a sharply inclined (e.g. vertical) non-shooting position.
Some of these prior safety devices have inherent disadvantages. For example, gravitationally operated sensing devices may be ineffective for rapid firing such as may be encountered when pheasant and grouse hunting or unsuitable for overhead shooting (e.g. ducks and geese).